1866 Sydney Mint Sovereign Very Fine

Description

The 1866 issue carries a modest mintage relative to the later years of the series, and examples in Very Fine are seldom encountered – making this a meaningful find for the serious collector.

Obverse: The laureate young head of Queen Victoria by William Wyon, with the legend VICTORIA D G BRITT REG F D encircling the portrait within a crisp milled border.

Reverse: Benedetto Pistrucci’s St George and the Dragon, with the date 1866 in the exergue – a design of exceptional artistry that remains as compelling today as when it was first cut in 1817.

Grade: Very Fine (VF) A well-preserved and visually pleasing example. Wear is light and confined strictly to the highest points of the design – the cheek, hair, and crown detail of Victoria’s portrait on the obverse, and the horse’s haunches and rider’s shoulder on the reverse. All finer detail within these areas remains clear and distinct. The legend is sharp and complete, the milled border is full and unbroken, and the fields display only the gentlest of circulation smoothing. No cleaning, tooling, or damage of any kind is present. This is a coin that has clearly seen minimal circulation and has been respectfully preserved ever since.